When it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ in-season quarterback roster, four dogs are fighting for three bones. One of either Mason Rudolph or Will Howard is likely to be the odd man out in a room anchored by Aaron Rodgers at the top and third-round rookie Drew Allar at the bottom. With Thursday being the final OTA practice open to the media, P-G’s Ray Fittipaldo assessed Pittsburgh’s backup QB competition.
“No. 1, [Aaron] Rodgers still has it. No. 2, the Steelers are gonna give Will Howard every opportunity to win that backup job in the summer,” Fittipaldo said on 93.7 The Fan’s The PM Team. “He was consistently the No. 2 guy in OTAs and minicamp, and he’s gonna continue to be that in training camp. He’s gotta prove it once they get to preseason games, but if he does, I think he’s in line to be the backup for the 2026 season.”
Considering the future, Howard is absolutely the better choice to keep around. He could potentially develop into more than just a backup QB later on. But Pittsburgh wants to win now, and may not want to have zero starts of experience behind a soon-to-be 43-year-old starter.
The Steelers won’t hand Howard the job, but their early actions indicate they are giving him every opportunity to earn it.
Once again, things are out of Mason Rudolph’s hands, which he’s used to. Pittsburgh added Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky over him in 2022 before relying on him in 2023 to win three-straight games for a playoff spot. He was also the presumed starter in 2025 until Aaron Rodgers finally signed in late June.
Rudolph has proved that you can’t count him out. Only a few current Steelers have more seasons with the team than he does.
“I just think they’re looking for something more,” Fittipaldo said. “They’re looking for a future starter, and I think they wanna find out about Will Howard. I think that’s the No. 1 reason they’re giving him all the reps here this spring.”
Rudolph started one game for the Steelers last season, a middling performance in a loss against the Chicago Bears. He has won games for the Steelers in the past, but at age 30, it’s worth wondering if his best days are behind him. His last six NFL starts, including his time with the Tennessee Titans, combine for a 1-5 record.
If the plan succeeds and Howard wins the No. 2 job, the next question is where Allar fits in. McCarthy drafted him as a developmental prospect, but Pittsburgh spent a premium pick, No. 76 overall, on him in April. How have Howard and Allar looked throughout OTAs and minicamp so far?
“Up and down, and Howard too,” Fittipaldo said. “Howard’s had some good moments and some bad moments too, and I think I would put Drew Allar in that same category…There are times in individual where you kinda look at him, and you’re like, ‘Okay, he’s trying to get it,’ and then there are times in team period where he’ll just go out there, and he’ll sling it downfield, and he’ll look great.”
Howard and Rudolph’s competition for the top backup job takes precedence over seeing what Allar may offer in the future. No. 4 quarterbacks rarely get that many snaps in training camp, and sometimes get little to none in the preseason. Howard had zero preseason snaps last season because of an injury. He should get plenty of work in August.
Fittipaldo thinks that’ll mean very few snaps for Allar in preseason play.
“I still think this is gonna be a redshirt year for him,” he said. “I would not expect him to get a ton of [preseason] snaps.”
Don’t be surprised if Allar barely plays in the preseason. It’s all part of the plan to make sure they roster the right QB2, for now and for the future.
Recommended for you